


When You Passed Away

by Scriberat



Series: Month of Mei 2020 [7]
Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Animal Death, Gen, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:01:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24068536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scriberat/pseuds/Scriberat
Summary: Taimei is dead.
Series: Month of Mei 2020 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1727365
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	When You Passed Away

**Author's Note:**

> i will tell you now, if you have issues surrounding dead animals, you ought to leave now, because that's the focus of this. im sorry. it's not a happy ending.

Koumei, at 15, entered the loft that he had had renovated from some unused rooms near the roof. Inside, all the pigeons of the Forbidden City were welcome to make their home, including his beloved friend, Taimei.

This morning, Taimei was still sleeping in his nest. Koumei pet and cuddled all the other birds as he fed them breakfast. He headed up to see Taimei and wake him.

"Taitai~ Breakfast time," Koumei said. He scaled the ladder to his loveliest, most beloved bird's home and looked inside. Taimei was in an awkward position.

"It's time to get up, silly~" he said, giving Taimei a lil neck scritch. Taimei loved neck scritches. Taimei didn't respond. Confused, Koumei booped him on the beak, only for the head to fall over.

"Taimei, wake up. Come on, now," he said, picking Taimei up. The muscles held no tension or heat like the others. Koumei gulped and took a deep breath, climbing down with Taimei in his hands. Taimei the Second came down to investigate as he listened for a heartbeat and tried to feel for breathing. There was nothing.

"No, Tai, why didn't you warn me? You were so young, Tai!" Koumei pushed back against the welling sadness until it hurt, shaking his head, blinking back tears, until he finally held Taimei to his chest and doubled over.

"No, no, no, no, no..." Hot tears fell from his eyes as he clutched the corpse, sobs wracking his body and breaking in his throat.

"Koumei, are you in here?" Kouen asked, opening the door. He saw his little brother on the floor and sighed. "Now isn't the time for napping. You just woke up."

"A.." Koumei's breath hitched. "Aniki..." He uncurled and showed the lifeless body to Kouen. Kouen's face fell, and he fell to Koumei's side as his brother wailed.

"Koumei, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Kouen held him close and stayed there with home for some time.

"Kouen, you're late for practice!" Hakuyuu admonished, coming up to the loft. "Are you even still here? Where is Koumei?"

Hakuren followed after and felt the grief in the air. "Brother," he said quietly, putting a hand on Hakuyuu's shoulder. Hakuyuu raised an eyebrow at him and stepped inside, seeing their younger cousins on the floor. The pigeons had flown off, save for Taimei the Second.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. Kouen looked up, not crying, but sad all the same.

"Taimei is dead." Hakuren teared up. Koumei's body was shaking silently.

"Oh, Koumei. I'm so sorry," Hakuren said, kneeling down. "May I see him?"

He looked at Taimei's body and fixed some of the feathers. Then he looked up at Hakuyuu. "We have to hold a funeral."

"For a pigeon?"

"For the  _ first _ pigeon. This was Koumei's first little pidgy," Hakuren said, working himself up until he was bawling. Hakuyuu sighed and nodded.

"Kouen, come with me. Let's get the grave prepared." Hakuyuu left with Kouen and got a couple garden trowels. They spent their time digging a hole by one of the old lanterns that the pigeons loved to roost on.

"Meimei, you'll be okay. It hurts a lot, but I'm sure Taimei loved seeing you every day and being cared for by you. Everything passes, but it doesn't stop existing. It just takes a new form, so I'm sure you'll meet again, someday," Hakuren said. He hugged Koumei, who nodded and cried. 

"You know the taijitu, right? How it has equal parts black and white? All the pain and grief is equal to the love and joy you had together. It means that Taimei was that great of a pigeon in your life. Let's honor him properly."

Koumei took a deep, shuddery breath, and nodded, then got up. Taimei the Second hopped onto Hakuren and headed out with them both.

At the grave, Koumei lay Taimei's body with a number of flowers from around the garden, giving him a cushy bed for his final resting place. Kouen buried him and held Koumei's hand, squeezing tightly whenever his sorrow threatened to overflow.

"Thank you for gathering here today to commemorate the great life of the greatest pigeon this castle has ever known. We're celebrating the long life of Taimei, who was taken to the eternal sky on the winds of the night," Hakuren said, choking up. Kouen found it difficult to hold himself together.

Hakuren continued. "Koumei was blessed to have met him the day he hatched all those years ago, and we were all blessed to have him in our lives as he watched us come home safely. I always felt that, if Taimei was here to guard us, we would always be safe."

"I never cared much for the animals living around here, but whenever I spoke to Koumei while his pigeons were around, his face lit up. It was Taimei who first made a true connection between us, and for that, I owe him a great deal," Hakuyuu said, holding Koumei's shoulders. Koumei couldn't stop the tears, nor could Hakuyuu.

"Brother," Hakuren said. It had been ages since he had seen him cry. Hakuyuu smiled, breaking down. He took in a breath and tried to calm himself, then looked at Kouen and nodded his head toward the grave.

"I've always understood my brother, but it seems I underestimated your compassion and love. I knew these pigeons were important, but I hadn't realized how much you truly cared for them. I always knew I could go to battle with an easy heart because you had Taimei and his offspring here with you. And now I'm glad I can be here when he isn't." Kouen pulled Koumei into a tight hug and wept on his shoulder. Koumei wailed out one sob after another as the two sank to the grass.

Hakuyuu felt someone cling to his pantleg and looked down to see a weepy and confused Hakuryuu. He picked him up and showed him the grave, explaining Taimei and death quietly to him. Hakuryuu nodded and wiggled out of his arms and gave Koumei a hug.

Hakuei had chased him over and heard the explanation. "Koumei, I'm sorry." She held him and Hakuryuu as Hakuyuu comforted them all.

"Mei-nii-san?" Kouha asked, coming over with his trio tailing along. When he saw Kouen was crying, he whined in confusion. "What's going on?"

"Taimei died," Hakuren said, joining the hug. Kouha did, too, shooshing and petting Koumei, whispering that he would be okay. Koumei started laughing as he was mothered by his little brother, then pulled Kouha into the hug properly.

"We lost a family member today, but we still have the rest of us," Hakuren said. The others nodded. Servants and guards looked over at the cluster of royals, confused and unsure if they should approach.

The news spread across the castle soon after, and Taimei's little grave gained a stone cairn built like a temple to keep it dry, as well as many flowers from those who had known the pigeon. Prayer talismans were stuck on, wishing Taimei and his descendants health and love.

  
  
  


_ "All the pain and grief is equal to the love and joy you had together. It means that Taimei was that great of a pigeon in your life. Let's honor him properly." _

Hakuren's words rang in Koumei's head that day when the leaves were budding on the trees. He felt cold and empty inside, unable to cry. Kouen stood next to him in the Courtyard of Kings, where the bodies of their past rulers were buried. Hakuren and Hakuyuu were lowered into their graves on either side of their father, and all three were covered over with dirt. Hakuei held Kouen's other hand, and she cried. And Koumei cried when he heard her, and he didn't have to look, but he could tell from how Kouen squeezed his hand that he was crying, too.

_ "Everything passes, but it doesn't stop existing. It just takes a new form, so I'm sure you'll meet again, someday." _


End file.
